When analyzing tandem mass spectral data files with SEQUEST or X!Tandem, we concatenate together separate spectra files (.Dta files) into a single file, whose name ends in _Dta.txt. The Concatenated Text File Splitter can be used to split split apart the concatenated file to re-create the individual text files (creating one file per spectrum). This is necessary if you wish to re-search the data with SEQUEST (which reads individual .Dta files).

The result files produced by sequest are called .Out files. We also concatenate them together to form a single _Out.txt file. Again, the Concatenated Text File Splitter can be used to split apart the _Out.txt file to re-recreate the separate .Out files.

Note that this software is a command line application; it does not have a graphical user interface. Please see the Command Line Application Help page for additional information on running this program at the Windows command prompt.

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Download Source Code

Version	v1.0.2946	Requirements	Microsoft NET Framework 1.1
Date Updated	January 25, 2008	File Size (Software Tool)	166 KB (ZIP)
Registration Required	No	File size (Source Code)	81 KB (ZIP)
Developers	Matthew Monroe
Comments	The program no longer requires any external DLLs. It also now allows the input file to be specified without using /I: at the command line See also the complete Revision History

Example Concatenated Data File

The following is an excerpt from an example _dta.txt file, which was created from a series of .Dta files. The Concatenated Text File Splitter program can parse this file, looking for the header lines, and create separate .Dta files for each section in the concatenated file. Note that the "scan=5563 cs=2" portion of the parent ion info line is a PNNL-specific add-on to .Dta files (see Matrix Science's Data File Format page for additional information). The Concatenated Text File Splitter will remove the "scan=5563 cs=2" text when creating individual .Dta files.

=================================== "QC_File_30Aug07_Owl_07-08-03.5563.5563.2.dta" ==================================
998.62505 2   scan=5563 cs=2
227.045 7973.5
303.314 1632.7
326.17 1130.8
386.744 2049
455.543 1544.5
467.954 1080.8
477.865 1176.2
480.34 997.3
481.377 1102.3
489.778 1502.3
544.336 1376.8
673.386 5770.5
772.459 45675.8
773.538 5369.5
852.318 2238.1

=================================== "QC_File_30Aug07_Owl_07-08-03.5564.5564.1.dta" ==================================
1057.584 1   scan=5564 cs=1
509.314 816.6
527.214 831.2
640.366 1643.2
741.457 758.5
759.412 8421.5
790.407 656.2
807.373 1387.5
808.428 1746.3
825.351 3142.8
872.401 829.8
903.447 1003.2
904.444 653.1
920.483 1054.7
921.478 3488.3
938.483 4280
1039.495 2698.9

=================================== "QC_File_30Aug07_Owl_07-08-03.5565.5565.2.dta" ==================================
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Acknowledgment

All publications that utilize this software should provide appropriate acknowledgement to PNNL and the OMICS.PNL.GOV website. However, if the software is extended or modified, then any subsequent publications should include a more extensive statement, using this text or a similar variant:

Portions of this research were supported by the NIH National Center for Research Resources (Grant RR018522), the W.R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (a national scientific user facility sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at PNNL), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/DHHS through interagency agreement Y1-AI-4894-01). PNNL is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-76RL0 1830.